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Speaking at a conference in Podgorica, she said that young people and the general public are highly susceptible to false information and various forms of media manipulation.
“Who is the source of this information for the Montenegrin public? I can name a few key contributors: 'Sputnik', which is directly under the Russian government, online portals such as 'IN4S' and 'Borba' which are closely linked to directives coming from the Kremlin. These portals and some regional and local 'media houses' - I don't think these fit really in the media category - are very active and highly coordinated. These campaigns are intended to seduce the public, create clutter and create problems in society and between countries,” she said.
The US diplomat cited the example when the media "deliberately presented fabricated stories of the creation of NATO bases in Montenegro claiming that Montenegro took military equipment to use against Serbia and Russia".
"In our view, the purpose of publishing such lies is to create an anti-NATO climate in Montenegro and to divide people. This is just one side of the prospect of a well-coordinated Russia-led campaign that also includes cyber fraud,” said the diplomat Kuo.
She stated that the United States has invested in initiatives supporting Montenegro's efforts to combat disinformation campaigns.